I continue to accept Alan Jackson’s challenge to use my communication skills on areas I find embarrassing. His ideology is one. His personal attacks on me and misrepresentation of what I write is another.

Alan seems so obsessed with opposing my idea of rational bipartisan political compromise that he has stooped to using examples that falsely imply that I would include compromise with violent street crime in my call for political compromise. As for President Trump’s goals, I agree with the ones Alan listed, so that’s not the issue. The issue is, “Do the ends justify the means? Should civil laws affecting all Americans be the product of rational bipartisan compromise?”

American history reveals that unjust laws have been and must continue to be challenged and changed. Sometimes, our tradition of non-violent civil disobedience has motivated our lawmakers to change unjust law.

True practitioners of civil disobedience modeled by Thoreau and Martin Luther King expect to be arrested under the prevailing civil law they seek to change by non-violent protest. Only thugs engage in inexcusable behaviors at political rallies.

Most often, reason has led to changed civil laws. Real honesty and true patriotism require citizens of character to recognize that our civil laws are made by politicians who pass laws that sometimes favor the special interest groups with the most power. So, I repeat, “What I favor is rational political compromise.”

The only citizens I don’t have a real chance of convincing with my advice on political compromise are close-minded readers who are unable to see Alan’s conclusion, “Anything that contradicts decent behavior and existing laws must be shown a very clear red light,” as an example of the logical fallacy called “unqualified generalization.” Moreover, the evidence Alan uses is the logical fallacy called “slanting.” He cites unrepresentative misbehavior of a few individuals in political crowds. Therefore, that evidence does not support a convincing argument against the need for bipartisan civil laws and bipartisan courage to change unjust laws.

Reason and truth will eventually prevail, despite Alan’s best efforts to obfuscate them.

Tom Driscoll

Poulsbo